Time to Change the World, Believe It!
by The Phantom Penance
Summary: Peace, a crusade as old as the Avatar itself, and for good reason. The Avatar could never achieve peace because she was born to be a savior, not made from the fire like he was. No, he WILL save the world and preserve his peace, for he has the power and the will to accomplish his goals. Any obstacles will be extinguished! Grey Naruto, undecided pairing, eventual EMS and Rinnegan
1. Chapter 1: All Things End

**Hello! This is the Phantompenance talking here, first story and all, so go easy on my poor self and give plenty of review**

**Since it's the first chapter, I'm debating whether this chapter would be long or not, crunched time schedule and all.**

**Also Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not LoK or Naruto**

**Enjoy! **_

Normal Talking: Hi ho!

_Thoughts/Communication: This is…_

**Anger/Bjuu/Avatar Mode: Kermit**

_**Anger/Bjuu/Avatar Mode Thoughts: The Frog**_

**Chapter 1: All Things End**

"The Spirit World."

A man garbed in purple and white clothes stared at the barren wasteland of the Spirit World. He stood at the place where Harmonic Convergence took place and the final battle between Vaatu, the Dark Spirit, and Light Spirit Raava along with her _precious_ Avatar.

"It's so full of energy! Of course, that's to be expected in the Spirit World. Nevertheless, it'll suit my needs quite nicely."

Behind him laid the weapon, the very same weapon used by an ambitious Earth dictator just last week, ironic that the device used to instill order will be order's destruction.

"Place it over there," He pointer at a landscape while addressing the only one of his two servants that could earthbend. She didn't show any signs of acknowledging his command rather to just follow it.

"I assume you remember how to use the weapon, Kuvira?" He asked in a mild tone, he felt talkative at the moment

"Yes."

"I know you're not capable of your own body being under a genjutsu and all, but it would not hurt to show a little emotion," He sighed dramatically

"Sir," his other pet called out, the mastermind's eyes narrowed as light flashed from the new Spirit portal.

"To my side, both of you," He commanded, lo and behold, out appeared to defy him was the Avatar, and certainly not alone. She brought her friends,

"The Beifong sisters, the Fire Ferret brothers, the Air Acolytes, and you even brought the Sato brat and your poor, pathetic excuse of a father! You have yet failed to impress, or be any less predictable," He stared at the Avatar and strangely did not find any anger or hatred, rather confusion, and an annoying sense of sadness.

"Stop this, Naruto! We don't have to do this!" She urged, Naruto gave an eerie laugh at her

"Oho, trying to convince me to stop my plan? Hero you," He chuckled.

Tenzin suddenly stepped forward from the group and faced the amused boy, "What have you done to Kuvira and Zaheer?"

Naruto briefly glanced at the robotic looking individuals at his sides. "They do appear abnormal, don't they? I guess it can't be helped, I take pride in my work, but using a Sharingan to its maximum potential requires hard years of practice, which I didn't have the time for."

"It doesn't matter what you did to them," Chief Beifong rudely interrupted, "you're still outnumbered."

Naruto nodded in agreement, then gave a nasty smile, but they didn't see that. "I should change that."

A wooden coffin rose from the ground before the heroes, its lid clattered to the ground as a man walked out, he was well known to the heroes as their sharp intake of breath and shocked facial features alluded that.

"Uhh…is, is that Amon?" The dumber Fire Ferret brother whimpered. Naruto gave a laugh, it was soooo easy to get under their skin.

"And just in case you still have any notions of me being outnumbered…." As if on cue, dozens upon dozens of pure white bodies with green hair came up from the ground.

"What…what are these things!?" Chief Tonraq growled, unnerved by the grinning, identical creatures.

"Accept the inevitable, Avatar Korra," Naruto called out, he stood on the weapon to get a good view of his enemies.

"Or don't, it'd be much more fun to kill you if you don't."  
Korra merely stared at him, then looked lowly to the ground, "How did it come to this?" She murmured, but Naruto had excellent ears and heard every _single, __**word.**_

"Don't act like you didn't see this coming," all emotions left his voice, except anger and hatred. "All of you had **made **me this way! You are the products of my creations!"

"It all became so clear to me, why had I not seen it earlier!? They would never see me, never acknowledge me, while you stood in front of me! Only by your death, will my existence finally be realized!"

"You're insane!" Tonraq shouted backed. "This will solve nothing!"

Naruto cursed himself for stepping out of character, his shoulders slumped back into a lazy posture as his eyes once again showed a lack of care for everything.

"It doesn't matter now," he spoke calmly, lowly, it was almost over. "You're all going to die. Today."

"White Zetsu. Kill them all." _

**First chapter, completed!  
Man, what in the world is happening!? What has Naruto become? What does he plan to do with the weapon and the Spirit World? What is his connection to Korra and her family? What will Team Korra/Krew do!?**

…**..….obviously, I know, but I'm building up the hype for you people out there.**

**If you want this to be NarutoxKorra (not incest, I don't work like that), you're gonna have to send some reviews, some good reviews, not that "Ugh! This fic sucks!" garbage, nobody likes Mr./Ms./Mrs. Killjoy**

**Unless you're gonna give me suggestions on how to make it better, I love those!  
Anyhoot, review and like this story, it's my mental fuel to keep this going, and the ultimate reward for staying with me will be an epic battle at the Spirit World near the very end of the story. SPOILERS: Naruto may or may not get seriously, life-changing, wounded in the aftermath.**

**Review, and stay alert for Nazi zombies!**

**World peace, it's gonna go far**


	2. Chapter 2: In the Beginning

**Hello! I'm back! **

**Not really getting a lot of reviews, but I guess that's to be expected in a fic like this**

**I'll be honest, that first chapter wasn't as great as I thought, but as I said, first fic.**

**Anyway, new chapter! AND I OWN NOTHING _**

**CHAPTER 1: The Beginning**

_Naruto wasn't always like that, not in the beginning. In the beginning, he was happy, even when the world was against him and told him not to be. The clock went in reverse to the time when Equalists were only a small rumor, when organized crime was beginning to be organized, before the world even knew that their Avatar was a female…._

"They've been talking for a long while," Korra whispered to him, they both stared through the cracks and gaps of their bedroom door.

Chief Tonraq and Senna had spent a long time talking to the strange men in white (Naruto had thought them to be crossdressers because what man in their right mind would wear dresses!?) after Korra's entrance.

"I still think it's your fault. Mrs. Senna always said not to play with fire, and now you've got them into trouble!" Naruto childishly accused,

"My fault!?"

She tackled Naruto into the ground which he expected, she was more impulsive than Naruto was and even quicker to, knowledge which the blond had used to his advantage many times in the past.

She appeared to have the upper hand at the moment, she balled her fists against his head and chest till he shoved her to the side and got on top of her to exact revenge, if he only had the time for it.

"Both of you, stop it!"

They warily looked up to see a disapproving figure of Chief Tonraq, "Sorry Dad/Sir" they mumbled.

He suddenly smiled and pointed to the main room. "The White Lotus would like to speak with you Korra, you can come too, Naruto."

The brown haired girl made a move for the door, only to be playfully shoved to the side by Naruto. With a grin, she chased after him.

Senna was entertaining the White Lotus as they arrived, and the children assumed that was not a fun task. The representatives of the White Lotus all had straight faces and radiated that eerie aurora of…..of…. _responsibility._

"Avatar Korra," They bowed at Korra who grinned, _'She's eating this up' _Naruto surmised. It would not occur to his mind for many years later that they did not seem to acknowledge him at all.

"We as the White Lotus have scoured far and wide for your eventual return so that we may properly train you in the spiritual and physical sides of bending so that you can….."

'_Man, these bozos are so boring!' _Naruto mentally droned, his figurative carriage had already gone off track to the point where he watched them talk, but heard little to no words come out of their mouths.

'_Why can't they use real words like regular people!? I can't even understand half of what they're saying!'_

"-take you to a facility that is currently under the protection of the White Lotus along with your family. There, you can devote your time to becoming a fully realized Avatar without any distractions," the men concluded, much to the relief and confusion of one blond.

"Eh?"

"Yeah! I get to be the most awesome bender in the world!" Korra cheered while pumping her fist in the air.

Tonraq merely smiled, "Then it's settled. Pack up, kids."

Watching the children's excited reactions strangely made the White Lotus very uncomfortable as one of them nudged the other whom, after clearing his voice a bit, decided to speak up.

"Yes, about that…"

"Are there any problems?" Asked Senna with concern and confusion

"Not at all, really!" He assured, "It's just that… the boy cannot come along."

The response was immediate and expected.

"Why not!?" Naturally, Naruto was the loudest of the group, second only by Korra herself

"Well….." they began, choosing their words very carefully, "we are allowed to have Avatar Korra's family on sight and since this young boy…. isn't, I'm afraid he'll have to be left behind."

_Not family._

Naruto had never thought of Tonraq and Senna as his parents since they would never replace his real parents who were long dead, but the term felt like he had no association with them, period. Like he was an outsider.

"I think it's unhospitable of you to assume that." Senna spoke, clearly insulted.

"Naruto has been with us for years. His parents died by a fire and with it was everything that was entrusted to him-" Naruto flinched, the memory was still ever raw "-without us, he has nothing. No one."

"I'm sorry, but I don't make the rules," The man replied helplessly with a shrug, as if that would make everything better.

"Then tell whoever does that he'll make an exception, today." Senna ordered, Korra roughly grabbed the blonde's arm.

"Either he comes with us, or we don't leave at all!" She loudly declared.

_Now _the Lotus were in a real bind. It would be much easier to just take her to the compound, but that wouldn't send a good message at all. Their boss was a stubborn man, too stubborn to change his mind about his "perfect" rules, and it would seem that the new Avatar was just as stubborn.

Leaving her was also non-optional, the world always needs the Avatar. '_Only one word comes in mind…..troublesome.'_

For a moment, Korra actually believed she was going to get her way by the looks of their indecisiveness

"Listen," they sighed, "would it be alright if your family would visit four days a week? That's the best we can manage."

The Avatar family (plus Naruto) all had the same spacing out face as they thought about it. Four days of every week, the visit time will obviously be adjusted to their liking, it appeared to be a suitable compromise.

"…..Fine then, it'll do.

_SEVERAL MONTHS LATER_

As it turned out, Naruto himself proved to be a very capable Waterbender, they were so impressed, that even Korra's Waterbending teacher, Master Katara, had suggested to teach him as well.

It was a grand idea, one that-as usual- did not fit into the Lotus time schedule. Naruto's hunch about them were right, they were down-to-earth workoholics.

Master Katara also bumped into their schedules, whether accidentally or deliberately. She always said their addictions to managing everything reminded her of her brother, whoever he was.

Due to the Lotus' interference, Naruto would practice waterbending by himself while Katara instructed and Korra slept due to exhaustion.

They had setup where Korra would have a bending practice right before her family would arrive so she would purposely be too tired to interact with them at all.

Of course, Tonraq and Senna were in the process of amending that, but Korra was not the only one who would be constantly tired.

Naruto himself felt more sleepy as the days rolled on. Katara would brush his fears off, claiming it was probably because he was waterbending more than he ever had and his body would naturally get accustomed to the work-out.

That would not be the case in the next several weeks.

After hearing Senna's scream, the White Lotus rushed to the scene, automatically fearing the worst, but a missing Avatar was not all what they expected.

Only a blonde haired boy face-down in the snow, refusing to wake up at all.

**Chapter 2 done! Sheesh, that was boring.**

**If it hadn't occurred to you viewers out there yet, I'm not gonna finish that fight in Chapter 1. That is meant to be the explosive climax at the end of my series, if your reviews would carry me there**

**Anyhoot, **_**now **_**what's happening to our favorite blonde? I'll tell you: only the straw that breaks the camel's back to Naruto's dark path of vengeance and self acknowledgement.**

**Alright, I'm quite serious now. Last chapter, I sent out a vote for NarutoxKorra or not (still not incest) and the replies… were less than satisfactory.**

**I know this is my first fic ever made, but you guys (and gals, can't forget the gals) need to give me some feed back here!**

**Review if you want NarutoxKorra to become reality in this fic or not, I'm cool either way.**

**All jokes aside, how many of you actually watched out for Nazi zombies?**

…**.I ain't seein' hands, so I'm assuming I'm alone on that one? Traitors.**

**See ya next time, and have a nice break!**

**(SPOILERS: THERE. WILL. BE. RAMEN.)**


	3. Chapter 3: Journey Begins

**Hello! It's a me, Phantompenance! Man, that sounds cooler with Mario**

**Anyway, I'm back and really digging the reviews I got, especially from that mysterious (and no doubt handsome) devil who thought I was great at my hobby, can anybody identify him for me?**

**Anyway, due to the obvious reports of NarutoxKorra being completely stale, this Naruto pairing has officially become… undecided!**

**More reviews if you want him to be paired with someone**

**Anyhoot, Enjoy and Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.**

**Chapter 3: Journey Begins when the Lies End**

"…..don't know what's going on with him-"

"…been confirmed. A disease, so rare it doesn't even have a name…."

"-They requested Master Katara personally, did not hold any concern for the Avatar's training…"

Voices. So unfamiliar, so….emotional, but for what? For who?

"Out of the way, all of you," It was an elder this time, female by the sound of it.

"M..Master Katara! You shouldn't concern yourself with matters as trivial as this, you should be teaching the Avatar." A younger male voice stumbled.

"Don't worry. Korra refused to train until Naruto was alright, and assuming he's still out of it, I'm assuming he's _not_ alright."

A door opened and closed from behind as heavy footsteps followed.

"You should be training the Avatar, Master Katara. This facility has more than enough healers to handle this….inconvenience." A different voice declared. This one was cloaked with a sense of strict discipline, he felt comfortable being the commander.

"It's nice to see the head of the facility has the ability to leave his office every now and then," Katara's voice was laden with sarcasm, the man did not reply.

"Avatar Korra's training session has not ended yet, a single distraction from her duties can potentially wreck her entire training regimen and stunt her progress to becoming a fully realized Avatar altogether."

"This boy is my student as well, and if you continue to get in my way like this, his progress to becoming a Master waterbender will cease. Permanently." The old lady argued back

"Your concerns for the boy has blinded you from your obligations, Master Katara. The World needs its Avatar as fast as we can manage and the Avatar needs your skills to train her. All other distractions will simply have to be handled by someone else, us."

Katara did not reply at all, rather, she gave an exasperated sigh.

"This is a waste of time arguing. I'm kindly asking you to get out, before I _make _you get out."

Silence reigned in the room. The supposed unconscious blond could practically taste the unease that had covered all the occupants.

"Master…._that_ is illegal and you know it." The Head Lotus replied slowly

"It's a full moon tonight," Katara replied in a sweet voice, layering the hidden threat, "Do you want to try your luck?"

"…Thirty minutes. Then we handle it."

With that, the door opened again and there was the loud shuffling of feet, a few pairs were quicker than others to leave the room.

The door closed and Katara gave a laugh. "_Now _I see why Toph loves doing that."

_**Some time later…**_

The adopted blonde awoken from his slumber as refreshed as he could ever be, albeit a little sore in his throat. The bed he was in was really soft, too soft to be his own, so he wasn't in his room, probably still at the Lotus compound.

He turned his head sideways as the bones in his neck popped from lack of use, Master Katara and his fa….. adoptive family, that is, were all dozing in chairs.

"What's going on here, ya know?" Tonraq heard the boy speak first since he had the sharpest ears and woke his wife shortly after, though Korra took a little persuading.

When Senna started tearing up, Naruto bristled, she was gonna go on a spill about 'losing her favorite baby boy' and totally embarrass him to the Spirit World!

(let it be known, even though Naruto doesn't consider himself part of the family, the same cannot be said by Senna)

"Nice of you to wake up, my favorite knuckleheaded pupil," Katara chuckled, Naruto was still rubbing his arm after Korra had mercilessly beat it blue when she woke up.

"What happened, Sifu?" The boy asked naturally, "Seems I was wrong about you. You were sick, really sick. It was tricky trying to cure you since waterbending heals wounds, and not all diseases are wounds, _especially _this one." The lady wisely answered

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, it made sense, but it would pay if learned how to heal in case something like that ever happened to him again, or his precious people.

"Sifu Katara, can we skip to the healing part of my training please? I gotta learn how to defend myself from this stuff."

Everyone in the room closed their mouths and began to stare back and forth at each other, their silence was a bit unnerving to the boy, and that quickly escalated in his brain. Was it something he said? Was skipping through training some type of dishonor to teachers? If so then he could be contempt with just waiting, anything to keep him learning how to bend, to fight.

"What's the matter?" He finally gathered the courage to ask aloud.

Katara sighed, not one of her weary but patient sighs, these were the kind of sighs that were paired with the worst of news, "Your condition…. was far more serious than even I could anticipate."

"It was still bad, but I guessed you had at least a week without proper treatment, but I didn't think how fast it would progress when my bending hastened it. Soon, a week turned to days, then that turned to a hour at most. You weren't just sick, _you were dying."_

Those words were like a hammer! Dying? Him? He was too young to almost die, hadn't seen that much, and definitely accomplished less….

Dying?

"We had to work fast, we did everything we could to try to stabilize you, but we didn't have much and time was running out. Finally, I found the source of the problem." She declared.

"The disease wasn't as physical as I thought, but rather Spiritual. Your energy was mixing with some... some foreign substance I had never seen before. And it was draining you out."

"That's why I've felt so tired all the time!" Naruto exclaimed in realization, his master nodded.

"So the Lotus and I theorized that separating this substance with your energy would save your life, but even that was difficult. Holing up the substance would be an instant death for you, we had to revive you to learn that, so we did the second best thing and… isolated your energy."

Naruto blinked once, blinked twice, then grabbed his hair, "Stop using big words, I don't understand!"

Katara forced a grim smile, it would be as hilarious as always if the situation wasn't so grim.

"Your energy is the source of your bending, remember Avatar Aang took Fire Lord Ozai's energy so he couldn't bend anymore? Your energy is sealed away so that it doesn't mix with the other stuff and kill you again. You can't access your energy, therefore, you… can't bend."

Oh.

"I'm so sorry there wasn't another way….." at that point, Naruto's former Sifu was only wasting her words

**Many months later….**

Summer had left and winter took its place. Then spring, summer, and winter again. Weddings were hosted, new friends were made, school was over then begun anew, time had taken place.

Naruto's sixth birthday had gone and passed, the boy found himself thinking in the cold snow, he did that a lot since-ya know- he wasn't really good for anything else. His inability to bend the element that surrounded him made him feel hollow and broken, incomplete.

The realization would hit him like cold water, the realization that he couldn't stop that water anymore, and he would look ridiculous trying to.

He was crippled, all his favorite past times were taken from him, his pranking ability was ripped from him, without waterbending, the world got all dark and scary for the boy, and his school mates weren't tired of reminding him about it.

He'd constantly get teased on how he was too_ weak _to keep his precious bending, there was a reason why Tonraq and Senna were called for his fighting behavior.

Korra was just _swell. _She said she was sorry and he did truly believe her, but then she returned to learning all _four _bending with her usual eagerness. She was goading him, he knew it!

Since the boy's brooding nature was taking a startling increase, he had seen several shrinks and they all told him the same thing: go get a hobby. So that was what he did, he learned how to properly wield a knife amongst other weaponry.

He was small for his size, and pair that with speed and agility, he could be a force to reckon with for _non_-benders.

Besides fighting, he took the hobby of thinking by himself, he was surprised of how many personal issues he thought about. This thinking led him to doubting everything close to him, questioning if it was really his or pretending to be his. Like his adoptive parents.

They claimed to love him, and they probably believed it themselves, but their door was not sound proof. He heard every word they said, about how he _reminded _them of his parents, and how they wished they could save them like his parents did to them several years back.

So was that all he was, salve to their guilty conscience? Would they helped him as they have if they had never met his parents!?

OR were they pitying him, of his misfortune? Could he be so dependent upon them, that he was nothing without his adoptive parents and his _Avatar_ sister?

Sadly, these questions were not paired with answers, the answers were the type that needed to be found from the furthest corners of the world, in the dark and tight spaces of the deep.

That is why he would find them, that is why he was sneaking onboard the supplies ship from the famous Republic City.

He _will _get answers, but they did not hide in the safety of his bed.

**Third Chapter Completed!**

**That was some deep stuff! I'll do my usual, but first, let me explain myself. Naruto's condition is not permanent, just a part of my beautiful, insidious, master plan.**

**Reason why Katara had never seen chakra was because she's never dealt with it on that deep of a level. I've blended the concept of chakra between Naruto and Avatar. In Avatar, chakra was the gates that energy flowed through (like Lee and Gai!), ** **my chakra will just be the liquid form of that.**

**Also, Katara threatening the Lotus with some blood bending. Personally, I think she could do it. Yeah, it's illegal, but seriously, how good is Katara with rules?**

**Anyway, sit tight my fans, the action is coming next chapter! I had to get through the back story and psychological stuff first, and I'm trying to decide how I'm gonna write a bending fight scene, that's kinda hard.**

**Quick Spoilers ahead: Naruto meets the Sato family, joins the Triple Threat, and meets a mentor in the form of a Naruto character! ALSO RAMEN NEXT!**

**As Jedi Master Gai would say: May the youth be with you, always**


	4. Chapter 4: Easier than it looks

**Hello! It's me again!**

**I bet you all thought I was gone, didn't you? Well, I'm back and ready with more!**

**Here's the next piece of Time to Change the World!**

**Chapter 4: Easier than it looks**

Three years. Three years spent in the lowest of Republic City, three years of begging, stealing, and staying away from the gangs or the police, THREE. YEARS. Where was Naruto now? Still without a home, without a meal plan, and wearing dirty clothes. He looked like another orphan from the streets, the ones who held the same eyes of pain and hopelessness as he has, and the good people of Republic City walked past them, too concerned for their wellbeing.

Finding work was hard for a non-bender, even more so for a kid non-bender. The only jobs that were available for average level intellect like him were the ones that required some manual work, and those were immediately taken by earthbenders. Of course, it's blatant prejudice against the non-benders, but it was also an economic fact: why hire a non-bender for mining, when you can hire an earthbender who has the ability to be as efficient as twenty non-benders and is willing to work at the same price?

This social injustice gave non-benders little choice but to turn to crime for money, but they were easy pickings to the Metalbending Police, and gangs? They wouldn't let non-benders in their gangs until the world ends, having non-benders reduces their rep, and rep was everything to the triads.

So what choice did non-benders have, what choice did Naruto have? Steal, run, or join the others in the rising sensation, the Equalists. The Equalists were anti-bending, they focused on all the pain and suffering that bending had brought upon the world, it was obvious that they would focus on the bending triads and the Hundred Year war.

Naruto found it easy to relate to the non-benders, just like them, his existence was only a nuisance to those who are charged with or took it upon themselves to run Republic City. The ones with the _real _power. But he grew up with waterbending, and it became a part of his being, his identity, even with it out of his reach, the blonde still proudly called himself a waterbender from the Southern Ice Caps. Nobody was going to take that away from him, not living people, mind you.

The night was late, and plagued with the grumble of a mighty stomach that demanded food. Naruto had not eaten in a week, so it was a marvel to him that he still held the energy to try and steal money or scraps. The last thing he had to a decent meal was a plastic cup full of _the most heavenly food in all the world_. Had he known that so much purity would reside in one cup, he would have prolonged the experience. Savored it, but it was all gone, down into his stomach and is probably somewhere in the streets by now.

He was _soooooo _hungry now, and that...

* * *

_Made people do some crazy stuff._

The lamps illuminated the streets in the midnight, giving him barely enough light so he could know what he was doing, or more importantly, to see if he was picking the gate lock correctly. There was a satisfying sound of a snap and the gate groaned open, Naruto wasted no time in entering the grounds of the mansion and shuffling his malnourished body under some bushes

This was crazy, he was officially crazy.

There were dozen of Republic laws he was breaking and planning to break, but-dangit!- he needed more money, to get more ramen!

Rich people wouldn't notice that they were missing a few wads of cash here, maybe a gem or two there, they were rich for a reason! Besides, it wasn't like he was stealing for the pleasure of it, the money was gonna help a homeless kid get a meal in his stomach, so it was a good cause.

Naruto noted that several lights were on in the mansion, why were they all up at midnight? His rational thinking demanded that since they were up, it would be stupid to try to rob them blind and hopefully get away with it, but the stomach was so much more satisfying to listen to.

'_Do whatever it takes! In the name of ramen!'_

"In the name of ramen….." he muttered like a mesmerized loon, drool started to drip down his mouth at the mere prospect that sweet ramen would be his.

Sounds of shuffling and raised voices shook him out of his stupor. '_What in the world? Are they having an argument? I really should go then, I don't wanna deal with heated attitudes-'_

Something glass broke inside the home and there were voices, as in more than one male voice, also there was a woman.

Oh, wrong house at the wrong time.

It was a robbery, one of the gangs were being very daring tonight and thought that they were going to get some protection money from the ones who were loaded with yuans. Off chance, it could end really well and the gang could leave with some extra money, or it could go really south and the mobsters would only get blood on their suits.

And here Naruto was, stuck outside listening to the whole thing. _'Just walk away…. Just go, they'd do the same thing if you were in their situation, just leave…'_

There was the sudden rush of a fire blast, the woman's crying ceased, and never started again.

The blonde widened his eyes as the adrenaline began to pump. "Noo!" A man wailed on the inside, "Pui! That was uncalled for! She was also really hot!" Another man scolded, his voice went through the windows and was barely heard outside, "Well, now she's sizzling hot bro!" A younger voice joked, as if life was a game and killing was just a power-up.

The lady's death…. the inhumanity of the trespassers now murderers…. these weren't the things that set Naruto off, but rather, the rising crying of an another voice, a new voice.

A girl's voice

"Mommy…?"

That was it.

No words needed to be said, the police did not need to be called, Naruto and his knife would handle the justice tonight. Strangely, Naruto's wellbeing was shoved aside, his personal wants and dreams were shifted to the passenger seat of his life.

Tonight, he was no longer Naruto Uzumaki, the thief who couldn't bend, couldn't find a decent job, couldn't quite fit in to a massive movement or a crime organization.

Tonight, he was an avenger.

* * *

"So old man, ya ready to lay the secret on me?" Spirits, Pui _loved _his job.

After spending a whole day watching those rich stuck-ups ride in their new pretty rides and smile as if the world was a hunky-dory place to be, nothing satisfied him more than ripping out their smiles and charring their faces black.

Right now, he was staring down some wimp who couldn't stop crying about his dead lady. Really, she wasn't even that pretty!

"Hurry up, lil' brother! We're on a time schedule, y'know!" Pui's brother, Lei, just had to ruin all the fun. The eldest was tending the little girl who was staring at her dead mom, don't she know that's how psychopaths are made? Kids these days.

"Alright, on your butt! Move it!" The rich guy-who was still crying- got into a chair with a little bit of Pui's sweet persuasion (yeah, he totally kicked that guy in his guts, if he had any), Pui placed a cigar in his mouth and casually lit it by the flame on his forefingers.

"Okay, listen here bucko," he blew a puff of smoke into the man's face, "the Red Monsoon ain't no idiot. When our boys say-our top boys, mind you- that there's a safe in the house, guess what? There's a safe in the house! Problem is, we just don't know where. Sure you don't want to help with that?"

"I-I swear, there's no safe anywhere-!" Pui backhanded the man,

"Sheesh! Pull yourself together, ya lump! You're not used to this type of stuff, aren't you?"

Though to be truthful, interrogation was fun for the first five minutes, now it just got boring and really annoying. Even if there was a safe, not that he was doubting that there wasn't, the furniture and silverware was expensive enough, they could just grab that and dust the old whiner.

'_Probably should take the girl also,' _he deducted, _'Boss did mention we were running low,'_

A loud groan of wood long undisturbed broke him out of his train of thought, the sound came from within the depths of the house.

Pui grinned. "Looks like you were lyin' to me from the start and I was certain that we were on a good terms! Who's your friend?"

The man stared at him with confusion as well as fear, "F-friend!? We're the only ones here, I swear! Please…" That was when Pui zoned out, he wasn't paid nearly enough to deal with sob stories, so he'd better check it out himself-

"What're you doing? It could be the police." Lei interrupted like the worry sport he was, "C'mon, use your head bro! We would've heard the police a long time ago, it's probably some little kid who thought he could get away. I'll find him, fry him, and we can get on our merry way, deal?"

"Don't take too long!" Lei called out as Pui lazily strolled down a hall.

"Hey kiddy? See what's in my hand?" He called out down the halls, "It's fire, you know what it does to you? It burns ya, meaning if you don't get out in the open right about now, it's gonna be all over your body." Silence was the answer, it irked Pui. Pui burns things when he gets irked.

"You asked for it!" He yelled as he sent a fireball soaring down hall till it smashed against a wall. It caught the hall on fire, but that was nothing Lei couldn't han-

Something grabbed his leg-no- something was through his leg!

"AAGHH!" Pui cried out as he collapsed to the ground to clutch his bleeding leg, the last thing he saw was a small bundle holding something shiny and lined with blood at his throat.

Pui could only scream bloody murder as the knife found its mark.

Lei, of course, assumed the worse when he heard his brother scream like a little girl. "Get over here!" He hissed as he dragged the man to his daughter before holding two ice picks at their necks.

"Alright! These people are dead unless you get out here right now!" He yelled to the empty house, there were footsteps from a hall, he turned quickly to see the pol-

A boy.

Spiky blond hair underneath dirt, clothes had seen better days, and geez! Somebody get that kid a sandwich. He held some sort of object in his hands, the left hand held something really bulky.

"Where's the cops?" He questioned,

"There are no cops," the boy replied in a scratchy voice, "only me."

"Well, where's my brother?" Lei demanded, the boy stared straight at him, and smiled.

"_Right here."_

He threw the bulky, round item high in the air, it spiraled as Lei got a good long look at what it was, or rather, _who It was._

"You sick piece of-!" The boy was rushing him now. Logic left Lei as he bended the ice picks-his only source of water- into shards and shot them at the…. the demon child with deadly speed. The boy ducked behind a sofa as those shards murdered that sofa into shreds, he then jumped into the air with his knife outstretched and aimed at the Red Monsoon's brain. Lei held a hand up to defend himself, but the knife went through the hand and embedded deep into the cranium.

The man fell through the window behind him, beyond dead.

And the boy was gone without a trace, leaving the Sato family confused and a mother/wife short in a burning building.

* * *

_One year and a half later….._

It ironically was one of the final days Naruto spent on the streets. An elderly lady had found him alone and despite the blood on his hands and shirt, she gratefully allowed him a place to stay for the night, and after she saw how skinny he really was, the stay became permanent.

Even better, she was the owner of a highly respectable tea shop in Republic City and recently fired her last employee because of his gang affiliation, giving Naruto something to do during the middle of the day.

It was a humble beginning for Naruto, to be a waiter. Not to make the tea, or even unload the materials to make the tea, only serve the tea and eventually wash the dishes that once held the tea, but he didn't hate it in the least.

He interacted with a lot of people, like some Republic Councilmen, a clown in a traveling circus who ironically bought tea to help his depression, some gangsters who got out of the gig for a plethora of reasons (marriage, new job, threatened to go to jail, the likes), but one of the most memorable had just walked in the door.

The old lady recognized the familiar chime of the door and turned to face her new customer, but then she stared at the entrance of her tea shop and eventually gave a mischievous smirk for some reason.

"What are you staring at, Grandma Jin?" Naruto asked when he got up to the counter, "Oh nothing," she replied in that universal tone of voice that tells everyone she's a big liar, but he wasn't going to question it.

"Anyway, we've got a new customer, why don't you tend to her order?" She pointed at the table in the far back. It was occupied by a girl, suspiciously alone, and also (quite the coincidence) around Naruto's own age…

"Grandma Jin! You aren't-" He spun to see the old lady already in the back of the teashop, no doubt "making tea." "Old women," he grunted, "they're just as bad as regular women…." Nevertheless, it was his job to serve new customers, and he was going to do it.

Getting closer, Naruto couldn't help but notice the girl become more –dare he say it- beautiful in his eyes, though some of the beauty was assisted by make up and other girly stuff.

She had jet black hair that was straight as a line in the beginning, then got curly at the end as well as some eyeliner that brought out the color of her orange-ish irises (he approved, orange was a good color)

She wore black and red clothes, it seemed expensive enough to suggest that she wasn't like everyone else. Naruto also couldn't help but feel that he should know this girl, like _really _know this girl but it was irrelevant now, she was a customer that wanted tea, too bad old lady Jin stamped down his idea for a ramen shop. It would work! Ramen was just too great not to!

"Welcome to Republic City's Jasmine Dragon, how can I take your order?" When the girl turned her eyes from the menu to answer him, she froze up in a millisecond.

Guess he does know her, because she obviously knew him.

"Your hair… those eyes… you… you're that boy from before! At my house!" She gasped, Naruto would've blanched as well if she wasn't causing a scene.

"Okay! I know you, keep it down!" He hissed as he covered her mouth with his hand, he sighed as he sat across the girl, this was probably gonna take a while.

"I'd ask how you recognized me so easily, but frankly, I think I'm the only one in the city who has a hair color quite like my own," he began, "so if you feel all sentimental and whatnot, thank yous aren't needed, and the best you could do for me is order something to drink."

She stared incredulously at him, as if not believing that he didn't want a reward or something, "That's it? No money or anything?" Naruto ruffled his hair as he leaned in a bit.

"Okay listen lady-"

"Asami," she supplied.

"…..sure. Anyway, I should up at your house-I kid you not- to rob you blind so I can eat for a couple of days because back then, I was on the streets. I really don't deserve anything you can give me."

"You sure there isn't anything I can do?" Asami persisted, "I kinda feel like a jerk. I mean, you saved my father and my life, I feel like I can't let that fly by."

"You can't do anything," Naruto assured, then muttered lowly, "unless, you somehow have enough money to help me start a ramen shop or something…."

"Y-Yes! I can do that!" She all but exclaimed, "Are you certain? I wouldn't want to be a bother," he sighed dramatically,

"Definetly! My dad's got money, and he'll love to help out!" She urged, Naruto sighed once more, "Well, if this is the only option, then why not?"  
However, he was maniacally laughing on the inside at the sheer cleverness that was Naruto Uzumaki. His crusade to promote the goodness that was ramen cannot be stopped now! First Republic City, THEN THE WORLD!

Also, old lady Jin smiled fondly at the interaction between the two preteens, as if reminded of her own days as a youngster.

**Finally finished!**

**This has got to be the longest chapter I've ever done, I can't believe I wrote this many words. **

**Anyway, sorry it's taken this long! I have some computer problems recently, or lack thereof computer, but Spring break has come and I'll definetly be writing then.**

**So we've finally added Asami Sato in the mix of my brilliant plan, whether she becomes our Maelstrom's love interest or not is entirely depended on your reviews (PLEASE REVIEW!) **

**You don't have to lie, that little scene with the Red Monsoon was a terrible fight scene, it's hard for me to visualize fights like bending and place them into words, I'm my crappiest when that happens for certain.**

**Anyway, in the next chapter, Naruto becomes either a martyr from organized crime, or apart of the organized crime himself (completely depended on your Reviews my audience)**

**Also: check out my new story "king of gods" featuring the coolest Uchiha in existence (NOT. SASUKE.) I'll be working on that shortly**

**PEACE MY FRIENDS! MAY THE YOUTH BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS!**


	5. Chapter 5: Recovery

**Hello my fans, I'm back! **

**It'd be real nice if a whole lot of reviews start coming like the wazoo, but you know, I'm grateful with what I got already. **

**Here's a real kicker: Send a review if you think that I should make a Crossover with our likeable blonde Naruto and the X-men. Added bonus, I will add all the jinchuuriki in it.**

**But enough of that, let's get to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Recovery (In more ways than One)**

It felt like an eternity, but Naruto finally woke up. He woke himself up by coughing and gagging, his throat tasted like acid, his chest burned like fire, and he couldn't see anything to show him where he was.

He then felt something scratchy over his face, he tenderly touched his eyes to feel a cloth over them, "What's this?" He asked in a scratchy tone, he hastily began to find a way to get these binds off his face before he heard something from his side.

"I wouldn't touch those. You might permanently lose your eyesight." The voice sounded old, really old, and a male. Naruto calmed himself, he could take on an old geezer easily, even if he couldn't see at the moment. "Where am I? Who are you? Why are my eyes covered?" he questioned.

"My name is….unimportant, at the moment in the least, and you are at a place of sanctuary where you can rest and recover from your ordeal." The man replied cryptically, but what could Naruto expect from the old. They loved to talk in metaphors, Katara did it all the time. The boy sat up in his bed and turned to face the general direction of the voice. "What 'ordeal?'"

"Can you not remember? I certainly won't, it's the first time I had to get a man out of a coffin in the bottom of the ocean."

_FLASHBACK TIME, YEAH!_

_The sun was setting in the distance, yellow and orange was slowly turning to black as three people stood in front of a large building. On the front was a sign that said in big letters: UZUMAKI'S RAMEN PARADISE, GRAND OPENING NEXT WEEK! "So, we did good?" Asami asked eagerly, "Yes, you did very good. Very good indeed," Naruto chuckled in an evilish manner._

_It's taken a couple of weeks, but with the help of one of the richest industrialists in existence now turned Naruto's friend, Naruto's simple dream was finally becoming a massive reality. "I want to thank you both Hiroshi and Asami for doing this for me." Hiroshi shook his head at the boy's thanks. "No need to thank me at all. I cannot forget the act of bravery you did all those years ago. You've saved me and my daughter that night as well as gave those dirty bending mobsters proper justice."_

_During their time together, Naruto was smart enough to figure out Hiroshi held some sort of resentment to the act of bending. Sometimes he wondered if the man would help him if he ever found out that Naruto was a waterbender before. "Anyway, the shop looks ready enough. If there are any adjustments that are needed, I can handle them on my own." Naruto declared while glancing at his restaurant with a satisfied tone._

"_Are you certain? You know that we would be honored to help out more if you ask," Asami questioned, Naruto nodded, "I'm certain and you've done more than enough as is. Just show up for the grand opening and be sure to try out my heavenly ramen." "Well, I guess it's bye then," she replied while deflating a bit for whatever reason._

"_Why are you talking like that? I happen to like you and your dad, you seem like pretty cool people. No reason we can't still be friends and hang out a bit," he replied, immediately causing her to look up at him in surprise. "Really? You wouldn't mind that at all?" "Nah, it'd be nice to have some friends."_

_The Satos said their goodbyes for the night (Asami stared at Naruto for some strange reason, when he confronted her about it, she freaked out and left for her car) and drove off into the late Republic night. They left Naruto to tend to his restaurant, his own personal apartment was above it, and there was a bed in there that was calling his name._

"_Nice night, bud?"_

_Naruto narrowed his eyes as three people appeared from the shadows, all of them wearing expensive suits, but none wore as flashy as the eldest of the bunch. This man had gray hair on his head and face, but on the sides of his head there were three fat lines of freshly brushed white hair, he wore a blood red shirt that was yellow at the cuffs and the collar of his shirt._

"_Can I help you gentlemen? If it's about the store, then I'm afraid you'll have to read the sign." Naruto replied calmly, but he was secretly pulling his knife from its safety holster in the inside of his shirt. "It's about the store, but we came to talk to you really." Came the reply_

"_Allow me to make my acquaintance," the elder man spoke before giving a respectable bow. "I am Zolt, or as my friends like to call me, Lightning Bolt Zolt." "Well good for your friends. What do you want with me?" Naruto questioned. Zolt pointed at the sign on the restaurant,_

"'_Ramen Paradise,' I happen to like ramen a lot. The sweet and savory flavors it has and the softness of the noodles, it's almost enough to make a grown man cry, so I'm gonna be a real friend and help promote your noodles." "How friendly of you," Naruto noted the men steadily getting closer to him._

"_Yeah, but I'm gonna go the extra mile for a fellow ramen lover. You see, there are some nasty people in this city who will kill anyone to get some extra money, you know what I mean, and I don't want to see anything happen to your fine establishment. So I'll offer you my personal protection, all you gotta do is except it." Zolt proposed while holding hand out._

_If Naruto was a rational and normal man just like the other guy, he might've accepted it, but the man had that smirk. That same smirk. It told Naruto so much about Zolt's character, the man was used to getting his way, because all the others were scared of the big bad leader of the Triple Threat, they were all scared of Firebending Zolt._

_But not Naruto, not today._

"_That's really nice of you to say that, but I'll deal with these so-called bad guys when they show up." Zolt's smirk fell, he became annoyed real quick, "Well now, it's been a while since somebody had the gall to reject my gracious protection, and I was planning on giving you a rare discount."_

_When one of his goons placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, he took that as a time to act. He latched onto the man's arm with his right hand just as his other hand pulled out the knife and stabbed it right through his arm. The man screamed hysterically at the sight of a bloody knife going through his arm, but Naruto knocked him out with the grip of the knife._

_He kicked the man on his right away as well as sweeping Zolt off his feet since he was about to fireblast Naruto. The other goon got on his feet and began launching head sized boulders at Naruto, the blonde weaved left and right to dodge the onslaught till he was right in front of the man. He punched the goon twice before driving the man's face into his knee and finished it with kicking the man back on his butt._

_Naruto dodged his head in the last second to avoid the flame from Zolt, he could feel the intense heat. "Gonna kill you!" Zolt yelled as he swept a wave fire at the blonde, Naruto leapt in the air, spun around and made 'Lightning Bolt' kiss his heel. The man toppled to the floor._

"_Guess your protection is as crappy as your aim," Naruto taunted as he sheathed his knife, he turned to enter his shop for his phone to call the Metalbending Police, but then he glanced quickly to see the downed goon launch another boulder. Naruto moved his head to the side, the rock crashed through his window, but Naruto was more worried about the cackling of lightning right in front of him._

_Faster than he could perceive it, Zolt's lightning struck him straight in the heart and went all the way through his body, then there was a slow descent into darkness…_

* * *

"So you're telling me that Zolt hit me with lightning, then stuck me in a coffn, and threw down into the ocean?" Naruto asked in a calm demeanor, his friend was messing with some utensils while he recollected the earlier events. "Yes. You're incredibly strong willed to last this long because finding you was not an easy task, I suppose you should be lucky that the lightning cauterized your wound, eliminating the threat of blood loss." The old man informed him.

Naruto nodded before rubbing the bandages over his chest area, "I wanna thank you for saving my life-" "Don't you thank me just yet." The man interrupted, "You owe me for this, and someday, I may just make you pay up." Naruto merely sighed as he muttered, "Guess that brings us back to the original question: Why did you save me?"

"Yes, that is the question of the day, isn't it?" The old man agreed, there was a scraping sound, like the old man had just found a place to sit down. "To be truthful, I have been following you since the day you've snuck off that supply boat on your first day in Republic City." Naruto sat up a little bit at that statement.

"You may wonder why, it is because you are special unlike anyone in Republic City. In this entire city, you are the only one who sees the world as it truly is."

"And what is it truly like? Do tell me?" Naruto questioned, "Why don't you tell me yourself what the world is?" The old man rebutted, "Fine, it's a cruel place, where only the tough can survive." "Now you are lying to yourself _and _me."

"The world is an endless cycle of hatred, greed, death, the worse in human nature." "And let me guess, you blame the benders for that." Naruto stated in a bored tone, he had heard this talk in too many lectures. "No, the people who have the power are the ones to blame." The man replied.

"So you _do _mean the benders." "No. The nonbenders would do the same amount of damage that the benders have done if not more. They would embrace the fear they've felt during the Hundred Year War and the triads to inflict an equal amount against the benders, they would become the very monster they hoped to kill."

Naruto wrapped his head around the crazy man's ideals, "So you're saying that everyone in power is evil and must be stopped. What are you, some type of anarchist?" "Try revolutionist, a world wide revolutionist." The mystery man corrected. "You see, power corrupts because its wielder knows nothing else but power. Most of our leaders and dictators in history eventually become corrupted with the power because they were born with it, they were taught in some miniscule way that they were important and all should listen to them because they had the power, they were important."

"Only people who have seen both worlds could ever hope to truly save this world. Those who had, and had not. Those who remember the times of their triumphs and victories as vividly as their moments of immense pain and failure. Those like you and me."

"You don't even know me." Naruto said in a low, dangerous tone, the man made a strange sound like he was laughing. "Please, I've watched you since the day you were born. Like your step-sister, the Avatar, you too were born with something special that defines you from the rest of the world, and I have it too."

"What are you talking about!?" Naruto demanded, he could only take so much clues in one day after all before he rage quit, and by that, he'd probably end up eviscerating the old man. "I'm talking about that fateful day when your Master took away your bending. That unknown substance? It is a gift, the mark of greatness, and I have it as well."  
Even though Naruto could not see, he still glanced at the general direction of his arm and flexed it slowly. The man knew about his condition, so it would seem he wasn't bluffing as the teen originally thought, "What does it matter?" Naruto demanded, "I can't bend because of it! Some gift."

"You can't bend because your mentor was inexperienced with this type of power. However, I can give your bending back to you, if you want it." The old man chided

Silence.

"…..you're messing with me." "No I'm not. Do you want to waterbend again?" The man asked once more, Naruto needed a quick second to decide if bending was really worth it in the-"What type of question is that!? Of course, I want to bend again!" "Very good."

The man shuffled farther from Naruto's hearing but then he returned, the blonde could only deduce that he had grabbed something. "I'm going to give you a shot. It will render you unconscious for the duration of the time as I work on your body to restore your energy and the substance you shall call _chakra._ When you awake, you will be in your apartment again, and you will be able to bend once more."

Naruto nodded, then he realized something very important, "You still haven't told me your name, or where I can find you since you're so interested in me."

The stopped what he was doing for a second before he began to talk. "I suppose you can know my name now, I've said what needs to be said at the time being. I am…..Obito."

"As for finding me, _I'll find you."_

* * *

Naruto woke up with a gasp, he was back in his small room where the light of the sun shone on his face and the radio beside him silently told him the scores of last night's ProBending competition, just a regular morning for the boy turning man.

'_Was it all a dream?'_ He thought briefly before his chest pulsed with pain, "Nope, that's very real," Naruto groaned as he clutched it briefly, he suddenly remembered his conversation with the old man and the gift that the mysterious man had left him.

"Did he really-?" No other words were needed, he immediately fetched a bottle of water. He sat back in his bed and stared at that small bottle that could change his life, if he could move it that is. He breathed in and got himself in a calm state of mind just like his former master had taught him, his breathing had drowned out the radio's news and any interference from the outside.

He drew his hand upward in a slow motion, like a calm stream and willed the water to follow his movement.

It did.

Like a small cloud, the water came out of the cup in a cube shape, but it took on a cloud shape once it was fully out of the cup. Naruto stared at the water floating in the air and literally cried. He was a waterbender again, _he was a waterbender._

Little did he know, that wouldn't be the only gift he received at the end of the day.

* * *

**Chapter Completed!**

**Yes! I am finally finished with this chapter, let me tell you, I was insanely busy today, so this chapter became extremely difficult to do, but I managed it even though I ended it a fair bit earlier than intended.**

**So Naruto's a waterbender again! I told you I would bring it back. Next chapter, we will see what Naruto will do with his ability, and with his chakra fully accessible (but he doesn't know it)**

**To clear things up, Naruto's Sage/Sage of Six Paths Mode: gone. Kurama and all the other Bjuu: Gone, they've assimilated into the Spirit World. I'll explain everything later.**

**Moving on, For the pairing, it's a rough tie between Korra and Asami, so you'll review and request which of the two in BIG LETTERS LIKE THIS. I'm also gonna add a little bit of Eska later on in the fic, just to see if I can't change your minds.**

**Anyway, see ya next time and remember: MAY THE YOUTH BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS.**


	6. AN: READ HERE! AMENDMENTS

**A/N: APOLOGIES AND AMENDMENTS**

**Hey it's me, the Phantompenance**

**This A/N was briefly my own personal rant about a hater who called my fan fictionbasically junk, and I responded equally harsh if not more.**

**Though he was wrong to insult me, I was equally wrong to insult him back and encourage others.**

**Jesus Superstar was a guest, so I don't know if he's bothered to read this or to assume the worst: killed himself because of my harsh words.**

**I want to say sorry to him and all who saw me like that. I can't promise something like that won't happen again, but I'll try to be a better author.**

**ANYWAY VERY IMPORTANT PART**

**I have received some reviews that this story isn't reaching the potential it holds and there was a suggestion for me to rewrite, I'm sadly not going to do it.**

**I started this fic, and even though the action might suck and the plot might be cliché, I'm gonna see it through till the end.**

**AND LET ME REITERATE WHAT I SAID AT CHAPTER 1**

**I DON'T LIKE ****FLAMES OR HATING REVIEWS. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE WAY I WRITE THE STORY, THEN PLEASE GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.**

**if you keep telling me that my story sucks, I'll laugh because I know there's something good about it that keeps drawing you back**


	7. Chapter 6: Day 1 and Answers

**Hi-ho! This is the Phantompenance with some more world changing!**

**There's a bloody tie between Korra and Asami, are you kidding me!? So there's either two ways we can do this: Since I can't pair all three of them (that'd be weird and Korra/ or Asami wouldn't go along with it), we can 1:somehow break the tie. 2: I'll do one for LoK Season 1-2, and the other for 3-4**

**Sorry if you guys thought there'd be a multi-pairing, but you're in the wrong fanfic, check out my other that says harem.**

**But anyway, let's get on with the Time to Change the World! OWN NOTHING**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Day 1 and Answers**

"Now I _definitely_ know it wasn't a dream," Naruto muttered as he stared at his broken window. After he was finished messing around with waterbending (that wasn't until an hour), he went down into his restaurant to check if anything was out of order.

Turns out he was only missing for the night he was attacked by the Triple Threat, means that old man Obito was an incredible guy to have found him in the bottom of the ocean _and _brought him back to full health. "Guess I better buy a new mirror before the store opens." He muttered as he grasped the handle to the outside world.

He didn't expect that the moment he would get into the outside world, his own would be forever changed.

He took one step outside, and his whole outlook on life slowed down, _literally. _It felt like everyone moved in slow motion, the Satomobiles crept across the roads, people were taking an eternity to put down one foot on the sidewalk, even this girl who tripped was suspended in mid-air.

"W-What's going on!? What's happening!?" Naruto gasped and walked about, everything around him went was moving 10 times slower than ever! "Am I dreaming? That's what it is, I haven't woken up yet, there's simply no other option!"

Somehow, he knew. He never checked behind him, but somehow, he knew there was a Satomobile behind him, about to crash right into him. Common sense would tell him to dodge, to get out of the way, while fear screamed for him to cuddle in a ball and submit superiority to the car in hopes it wouldn't hit him. He denied them both.

He jumped.

It was stupid at first, would amount to nothing expect broken legs _if _he could safely clear the vehicle, but the rules of the universe were shunned for the glimmer of an instant. For when Naruto jumped, he jumped high, so high, that he could have been shoulder height to the window in his room if he bothered to open his eyes.

As quickly as he was in the air, he descended right back to earth as the Satomobile screeched its wheels and came to a complete stop. Naruto dared to open his eyes, they widened at what they saw: everyone was on fire! Colorful fire, but fire nonetheless!  
"Naruto! Are you alright?" Recognizing the voice of Hiroshi Sato, Naruto covered his eyes, hoping that whatever madness that was happening to him would vanish. "I'm okay Hiroshi, you didn't hit me." He mumbled.

Feeling four pairs of hands on scurrying all over his arms and such, the blonde assumed Asami was there as well, probably freaking out along with her father. "Are you certain? I must've hit you somewhere! You- you flew in the air-"

"I'm fine! See, all in one piece!" Naruto assured once he opened his eyes. He felt so relieved to find everything right with the world, no fire or slow-motion.

Hiroshi released the breath he realized he wasn't holding, the fear for Naruto was quite high. Imagine, killing a good friend with the very invention that made you rich, the irony in that scenario was quite frightening!

After double-checking to see if Naruto had been lying at all, Hiroshi then remembered why he drove out to the restaurant in the first place, "We heard there was a fight happening last night at your shop, were you involved in any way?"

"Yeah, some Triple Threat bozos wanted to hand me some 'protection'. Had to turn them down," Naruto said sheepishly, then he felt the incoming panic attack Hiroshi was about to have, "but I'm okay! They didn't hit me!"

"Why's there a bandage on your chest?" Asami pointed out ever so helpfully, Naruto fully buttoned up his shirt in haste, "hehe, so maybe one of them burned me _just _a bit…."

"Mister, you need to stay inside and recuperate," Hiroshi instantly commanded to a flabbergasted blonde, "B-but I need to buy a new window!" Naruto hastily replied,

"We'll do that," The CEO of Future Industries cut through, "you need to get in your room and relax for the rest of the day until you feel like your usual self." Naruto stared at the man and saw how firm he was with his statement, so the teenager had no choice but to comply.

"Stubborn old people…..not my parent….I'm an adult…" he muttered as he entered his restaurant again. Hiroshi's firm face broke into a smile as he stared at his daughter, "Now, if only you were as obedient…."

"Oh haha!" Asami's voice was a bit dulled inside the restaurant, but Naruto's face shifted from pouting to serious once more. "No, what I NEED to do is find that old man and make him tell me what on earth he did to me."

However, he couldn't accomplish that with the Sato's outside his door, he ran to his bedroom window to check if they still lingered at his doorstep. He was just in time to see them get back in their Satomobile and drive away,

"What'cha doin' there?" Naruto spun around quickly to see a man in his room… okay, he changed his mind, it was definitely NOT a man.

"What-what are you!?" It wore no clothes, showing Naruto its pure white body that looked like it was made from clay. Its smile was filled with fanged teeth, its eyes shown with orange irises, and its hair was spiky and forest green.

"Me? I'm Zetsu! Obito-sama's personal assistant!" The creature proudly declared, Naruto only stared at it in shock, disgust, fear, and a little bit of awe since it snuck in his room. "Obito's what now?"

"Obito's assistant! He sent me here when he found out that you were having a nervous breakdown way too early!" The creature known as Zetsu teased, Naruto stared a bit more before the creature's words started making sense to him.

"Y-Yeah, I need to talk to the old man-" "Obito-sama." Zetsu clarified. Naruto stared at Zetsu before continuing, "-to talk to _the old man_ about what he did to me."

"Alright, I'll take you to him! But first, there's something you gotta do." Zetsu replied.

"Yeah, what?" Zetsu grinned, "You've got to turn around! I don't like people staring at me, I'm a conscious guy!"  
Naruto, doubting Zetsu's intentions, begrudgingly turned around per its request. When he felt a hand strike his neck and his body becoming limp, he cursed himself for listening to the creature.

* * *

"So, you came back by your own will." Hearing Obito's voice woke Naruto up from his slumber, and he was really mad. "Yeah, and what's the big idea!? You say you heal me and give me my bending back, but then you make me insane, seeing things real slow or aren't there at all!? And there's that Zetsu thing, talk about rude!"

"That's Zetsu having fun, he doesn't do much these days." Obito replied. Now that Naruto had his eyes, he could see the abode of the old man, and it wasn't at all what he thought it would be, which was a house or apartment, a house at all.

"….Old man, we're in a cave. Why are you living in a cave?" "I have my reasons, boy." Obito's voice came from behind the back of a chair, a chair made of stone which could not be comfortable at all.

Zetsu stood at the side of the chair, grinning madly at Naruto, maybe he was told to not let Naruto see his real face, but that wasn't what Naruto was there for. "What did you do to me?" He growled.

"The reason I had your eyes bandaged was to give you a gift, a gift your body and chakra network had to get accustomed to. Eye transplants aren't as easy as plucking eyes out and replacing them, it takes time, precision, and a lifetime of knowledge." Obito replied, Naruto blanched at what he said.

"Eye transplant?" Naruto pulled out his knife and stared at the reflection of his sky blue irises for any changes. "Yes, and I have given you very specific eyes. Don't worry, they won't be indistinguishable from your old ones." Obito answered.

"I have given you the eyes of the Sharingan. It is a powerful tool that was once in the hands of the strongest group of people in history, but their own power drove them against each other, and now they are all but wiped out." Obito spoke on while Naruto pulled his eyelids wide open.

"They contain special qualities. Such as an enhanced vision and perception, meaning you perceive things and events right before they ever happen, giving you the ability to change it. Placing Fate into your hands so to say. You also see the abstract form of chakra, the flames you saw earlier."

Naruto stopped staring at his reflection and glanced upward at the throne, "How would you know what I saw?" He demanded. Obito did not reply, not immediately, rather he leaned over to the side of his chair so Naruto could barely see the side of his face.

It was old and extremely wrinkly, but in the eyes of Obito was a blood-red iris with three black symbols-tomoes- in the sides.

"Because I can see them too." He murmured before moving out of Naruto's view once more. "Years of living under a rock has enhanced my eyes to see all the chakra in Republic City. The Sharingan, when taught properly, can also cast powerful genjutsu-illusions- on victims. These eyes were widely sought after in the ages of darkness and death, you have been given a rare gift."

Naruto snorted, "Rare? It almost got me ran over."

"That is because you lack the necessary training of chakra control, the ability to control the chakra within you." Obito replied, Naruto folded his arms at the man, "What, you gonna teach me how to control chakra?"

"I'll have to, otherwise you'll really get yourself run over." The elder replied, Naruto gave a brief chuckle at the chair, "Well well, looks like oldy _can _crack a joke."

"Hilarious. First, I'll have to explain the concept of chakra and hope to Kami that your finite brain can handle it, then we'll get to the chakra control exercises. If you're not a smart-mouth by then, _maybe _I'll teach you how to walk on walls, that's a handy tool in the days to come."

* * *

_A week and a half later….._

Chakra control lessons were a breeze for Naruto, what was the real challenge was Obito's thick-headedness and Zetsu's sense of amusement. It didn't take long for Naruto to learn how to hamper the amount of chakra he leaked into his body, and even less time to learn how to direct the most chakra into separate parts of his body, specifically his eyes.

Obito called him a natural prodigy, but Naruto got the sneaky suspicion that he was hiding something. Perhaps it was his untrusting demeanor, or the fact that he allows Zetsu to knock Naruto out before taking him back to his home.

After exceeding Obito's expectations, the man agreed to teach Naruto how to walk on walls as a man of his word, and that was a whole lot more fun than it seemed.

But Obito had been hiding one important secret to Naruto. He found it when he checked the cave out one chakra control practice afternoon, it was an ancient book and in it, recipes of ramen in the days of old along with a weird delectable treat called dango.

Since Obito wasn't using it, Naruto….liberated it from its shelf and tested them out the day before Ramen's Paradise officially opened. It. Was. Glorious. There was no second thoughts as Naruto applied them onto his menu.

Now, he was lounging around bored at his restaurant that was scarcely filled with people, till he heard the humming of an engine before it died. Into his restaurant came Asami with her helmet in hand.

"How you convinced your dad to give you a moped will be forever beyond me. Are you gonna ask for your own Satomobile next?" Naruto sighed as he checked his fingernails.

"I'm a pretty good driver, not to brag and all, and I doubt Dad's lenient enough to get me a car before I get a job." She replied nonchalantly,

"You plan on getting a job? Thought you would've just waited till your dad gave up being CEO to you since you're already smart enough for the job." Naruto replied in moderate surprise.

"It's nice of you to say that, but that's the easy way, and I thought by now you would've known that I don't like to do things easy." Asami replied. The front door bell ringed, both turned to the entrance, but it was just somebody leaving.

"Speaking of easy, guess that washing down the restaurant will be easy for you today. Is it a slow day or something?"

Naruto groaned, "I wish. Turns out, not many people are willing to taste the holiness that is ramen and its partner dango."

"It's business Naruto, I'm sure it'll pick up eventually." Asami reassured her friend, but he pounded his fist on the counter and looked upward with a face of determination.

"No, I'll just need to advertise more!" He declared, then pondered, "But I don't want to be like everyone else who just place their ads on signs or blimps or the radio, ramen deserves more than that. If only I could place my sign at a place that's original, where a whole group of people could see it…."

He would have thought of a great place, until a better one came on the radio, "-score one for the Fire Ferrets! Wow, there's a lot of people at the Probending arena tonight!" "Sure is! Feels like everyone who's a someone is here tonight! And they sure are getting their money's worth!"

"Naruto….you have that smile," Asami spoke in a worried tone, "What smile?" He asked

"The one where you have an idea, one that's both really good and really stupid."

"Oh, it's nothing. I just have to ask Granny Jinn if we can postpone our tea time till tomorrow. Hey Asami,"  
"Yeah…"

"You wanna help me with something really quick?"

"…Against my better judgement…."

_Sometime later…._

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Asami yelled over the roar of a thousand people cheering below. Both she and Naruto stood above the entire Probending Stadium, they balanced on a single beam that held up the massive chandelier below them, the both carried a large rolled up sign.

"Keep it down! Somebody'll hear and they'll catch us!" He hissed, "This is serious Naruto! This is illegal! We can go to jail for this!" She continued,

"Not if they don't hear us!" He yelled back silently. He had his Sharingans activated and his feet was plastered to the ground with chakra for safety, but his main concern was Asami. If she fell and he didn't react in time…..

Just at that moment, her losing a sure footing and falling into the stadium below flashed before his Sharingan eyes, but it didn't really happen, not yet. And not ever now.

"Watch out!" He yelled as he grabbed her shoulders, she yelped and _nearly _fell, but Naruto-and his Sharingan- saved her from that fate.

"T-that was… that was close, huh?" She laughed weakly, Naruto nodded stiffly, "Yeah…. close." He made sure to turn off his Sharingan when he saved her, but the image of her falling to her death would always haunt him. If that _had _happened- it didn't, but at the same time, it happened in his eyes.

Naruto knew every gift had a drawback, and the Sharingan was no exception. Was that the curse of the Copy Wheel? To be plagued by what could've been, what should've been?

"Let's just get this done and get out." He replied, they carefully knelt down and glued the ends of the giant sign with a special type of solution Naruto and Hiroshi made in their spare time, it wasn't going to lose its strength for a good long while.

After nodding to Asami, they released the massive sign and briefly watched it unroll in front of the spectators, the Probenders, the narrators, everyone. On it in big bold letters, was: UZUMAKI'S RAMEN PARADISE, SERVING SATISFYING RAMEN AND SWEET DANGOS ALL DAY!

Before they could perceive what was going on, Naruto and Asami were already near the exit, the former barely concealing the smile on his face.

* * *

Asami drove them away on their moped with Naruto laughing like a maniac behind her without cease. She had to admit, what they did was crazy and dangerous and most likely illegal, but in a small way…. very fun.

"Alright, stop here." She slowed down at a street corner per to Naruto's command, she stared at him in confusion as he got off the moped.

"But we're nowhere near your restaurant," she reminded, "Nah, I gotta check on Granny Jinn, see if she isn't working herself to death or somethin'." Naruto replied casually.

"Oh, that's….quite nice of you to do that." She replied, he only shrugged, "Hey, somebody's gotta look after the old lady if she doesn't do it herself."

Asami nodded, "By the way, before I forget, thank you. For, you know, not letting me fall to my death." The normal response for Naruto would be to rub the back of his head and chuckle in a sheepish manner, but then he felt a pair of warm lips on his cheek.

Just like that, Asami sped off, leaving a confused blonde, "…..Okay, that happened. What was that about?"

Truthfully, Naruto was having a really good day. Learned to control chakra-and Sharingan in total-, his restaurant was gonna get more customers or the Metalbending Police will stop by (he didn't think _that_ far ahead), he saved Asami, Asami….. let's not focus on that.

Bottom line: he was quite pleased with how today turned out. It'd really suck if something bad happened at the last moment.

But like a curse, something usually does. And it did.

His shoes stepped on broken glass, and his heart fell to the ground. "Oh no…." he could only say as he entered the ransacked tea shop. All the silverware was broken, chairs were either overturned or snapped in half, all the cash was taken, but he wasn't concerned about that.

He walked slowly into the kitchen, as if he already knew what he was going to find, _who_ he was going to find. When he found her, he nearly puked.

They didn't kill Granny Jinn. _They mutilated her._

Cut her up, bashed her head in, impaled her, set her on fire and watched her burn. The Sharingan revealed all, too much for Naruto's tastes.

Her blood was still wet, but her body was crispy, Naruto didn't care, he fell to his knees and held her corpse tenderly, rocking it back and forth and apologizing over and over and over again. His tears fell and joined the blood on the white ground.

**Someone was going to die for this.**

* * *

"Obito-sama, Naruto-gaki is requesting to meet with you immediately," Zetsu's voice came from behind Obito, but he didn't turn to face him, "How badly?" The old man asked, he suspected that the time was coming.

"The gaki is absolutely livid, it feels like he's going to kill my brother." Obito gave a thin smile, so the time was nigh. "Bring him to me then."

There was silence, then labored breathing from the young blonde, he sounded tired, his intent felt tired to the old man.

"Teach me." The boy suddenly spoke, Obito smirked,

"Teach you what?" He questioned back, there was silence for a moment before he received an answer

"_Everything." _A vague answer, but one the Uchiha could work with. Obito clutched the corners of his chair and stiffly rose on his two legs. His hair had no grown at all, merely went gray. He used his cane for support as he faced the blonde boy, his new pupil.

"Very well. We will start with Taijutsu, get your body in the proper shape it needs to be, then we'll touch deeper into chakra control before we even start with any ninjutsu. Genjutsu will be before ninjutsu though, we want to get you used to using your Sharingan to its full potential. After we are done with everything, I may even tell you how to unlock the Mangyeko Sharingan."

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Before we talk, that little Naru/Asami scene WAS JUST A KISS, I SWEAR! Asami can have feelings for him, actually she should, it all depends on whether or not Naruto has feelings of his own and acts upon them.**

**Anyway, Naruto has joined the Dark Side! Sortof. There's been questions of Obito teaching Naruto like Madara taught Obito and no, Obito's not going to do that. His relationship with Madara didn't end so well and Obito doesn't want that happening to him with Naruto, he's going to take a more personal level with our knucklehead.**

**Sorry it went kind of dark at the end, but Naruto really needed the push in the right direction of my story. Next chapter: Naruto after training, and the Avatar's return to the World!**

**MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS**

**P.S. PLEASE CONSIDER MY LITTLE NOTE ABOUT THE PAIRING ALL THE WAY AT THE TOP.**


	8. Chapter 7: Slow Fade

**Hey folks, Phantom Penance is back!**

**You all thought that I gave up huh? Well no! Whether it's good or bad, I'm gonna finish this thing till the end!**

**For your patience, I present to you: the BIG ONE **

**Here's some more Time to Change the World!**

**Chapter 7: Slow Fade**

* * *

"List the names of the handseals as they come up." Obito commanded to his new apprentice,

Naruto groaned, "Do I really have to right now?"

"Obey Obito-sama or you'll be unconscious again!" Zetsu commanded happily. The blonde groaned once more and obeyed, Obito smirked at the boy. He had told him that they would be working on all forms of jutsu one at a time, but the old man had underestimated Naruto's new Sharingan.

He had already copied all the handseals with one glance, the problem was him being able to know one seal from another, one single handseal off to make some ninjutsu could result in that jutsu blowing up in his face and taking his face off.

Since the boy had perfected chakra-control and knew the handseals, Obito decided to teach him the one jutsu that was debatably the most useful jutsu in the history of ninjutsu, and it would also triple the training regime: the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

With the special ability of the host getting the memories of the clone in his hands, Obito estimated that Naruto could get into Special Jonin class roughly in a year. But that's only if the blonde brat could survive the old man's brutal regime, if Obito doesn't run out of those chakra pills, and if Naruto trains every night for a grand total of eight hours.

"Mwah! Why can't my clone do this hard work and I learn kenjutsu!?" Said blonde wailed childlishly.

"Because clones can't give you muscles, it's like asking your friend to take a shower for you." Obito replied while beating Naruto's back with his cane, a gesture that told the boy he needed to straighten his back out.

"I know you want to make me a shinobi kinda like yourself, but why the third degree!?" Naruto screeched while Obito adjusted the small lit candle underneath his belly, a warning should he fall during his push-ups.

"Because I not only plan to make you a formidable shinobi, I plan to make you into the most powerful man in existence." Obito replied while pacing back and forth.

"Yeah, and why's that?" Naruto grunted, he was roughly at ninety-eight pushups.

"Because you must beat this world at its own game," the spiky haired elder replied, "only those who have all the power can be respected by this world as its savior. Why do you think that benders overweigh non-benders in the Republic City Council? Or that every bender who's tried to change the world in the past has been hailed as a conqueror or a tyrant? With all their diplomacy and influence, they are second place to the Avatar." Obito reminded,

"The Avatar can bend all four elements and connect to the Spirit World. There hasn't been a sighting of a spirit for a decade and people still call the Avatar the Bridge between worlds, only the power of hardened shinobi can outmatch the Avatar."

"Sure sounds like you want me to pick a fight with her," Naruto replied. During his time with the old man, he may have let loose that the Avatar was a girl, but he never told him of his affiliation with Korra, just like he never told Asami, or Granny.

"That's very close to what I had in mind, but essentially, yes. When you have mastered all forms of jutsu, you will be ready to confront the Avatar, and fulfill the legacy of the shinobi, the legacy of true world peace." Obito declared before knocking away the candle at Naruto's 150th push-up.

The boy groaned as he stiffly got on his knees, he wore no shirt to disguise the six pack he was slowly regaining after years of living on the streets and working non-stop.

"I'm glad you have high expectations, but I'm not gonna be that huge savior you want me to be. I just wanna learn enough so I can hit back on the triads." He replied before wrapping his hands and lower arm with bandages to hide the bruising on it. He could always heal it with water, but Obito wanted him to build up pain endurance.

"Besides, the world hasn't done crap for me, why should I do anything for it?" He added in a darker tone, Obito stared at the boy turning man and gave a grim smirk, if not saddened.

"An excellent question Naruto-san. If you're lucky, you will never find out." Naruto listened to the old man's words and shrugged, being used to him speaking in riddles. If he was gonna tell him something important, he would've said it straight.

Obito spun around and waved his hands, "On your feet, time for a Taijutsu test."

"But you never taught me any Taijutsu!" Naruto persisted in a panicky tone. This one time, he came to the cave in a real sour mood and opened his mouth at Obito who was less than happy. He never saw an old man move so fast…

Naruto had learned two things that day: 1) a shinobi, no matter how old, is still a threat. 2) A Thousand Years of Death in a condensed area really places the emphasis on _death._

"Idiot, your clone does, what do you think it has been doing in the past few days, eating and sleeping?" Rebutted the elderly man as he dragged Naruto by the ear to the small ring.

"Now, the goal in this exercise is to stay in the ring no matter what comes at you," Obito instructed as his pupil scratched his ear like some idiot.

"Umm, what is going to come at me?" Naruto timidly asked, as if afraid of the answer.

Obito glanced away innocently, "Oh I don't know, just be prepared for anything!" The old man threw a kunai at the blonde clone watching at the sideline. It shrieked in surprise and poofed away with a lot of smoke.

Naruto hissed as he clutched his head, it being filled with what felt like tons of knowledge. After briefly seeing the memories of torture the clone had to go through by the Old man and Zetsu, the blonde suddenly wasn't envious of it anymore.

'_Sheesh, you'd think the old man is some kind of sadist-'_

"Prepare yourself!" Obito barked through Naruto's personal thoughts, he glanced around to see more than a dozen Zetsu clones surrounding him, all grinning like some kind of demon. Yeah, a demon would roughly fit Zetsu.

"T-There's too many of them! I can't fight them all at once!" Naruto exclaimed,

Obito literally smacked his head. "That's what a Sharingan is for, baka! There is no fight too hard to handle with the Sharingan on your side!"

"Oh, right!" Naruto inhaled and exhaled briefly, to calm his heartbeat and his chakra, before opening his eyes to reveal a bloody crimson. "Alright you pale freak, come at me bro!" He declared bravely,

The Zetsus chuckled darkly in an eerie manner. "We will enjoy watching you moan on the ground." And with that, they all rushed him in ones and twos.

Naruto stared in wonder as his body reacted to the threat, his hardened and agile muscles backed by the memories of taijutsu experience began to lay waste to the Zetsu.

He simply dodged at first, moving from side to side and watched the Zetsu stumble into each other, then he started blocking as well as purposely throwing them into each other until he finally began to fight back. Naruto ducked a punch at his face before burrowing his fist in the guts of a Zetsu (if he had any) and then forcing his fist into the other side.

He perceived a kick aimed for his back, he spun and grabbed the white leg before forcefully jabbing it with his elbow, a move that surely would've broken the leg if it was a human. Naruto twisted the Zetsu's head before using its body as a lift to get in the air and kick the head of another Zetsu clean off.

Naruto really widened his eyes in surprise as he began to simultaneously block the attacks of four Zetsu at once, his newfound fighting abilities had amazed him. He felt…powerful, yet somehow not in control. Normal Naruto who ran the ramen shop wouldn't use such deadly force against his opponents, he felt like a passenger in his own body, and the person driving was more ruthless.

'_Not that it doesn't matter,' _he thought grimly, _'I don't think I'll be that considerate to those thug scumbags on the streets.'_

Naruto punched his arm through Zetsu's head and dodged a swipe at his left while Obito smiled in his resting chair. The boy was still an idiot in the old man's eyes, but at least he fought like a true shinobi. At the rate he was going, he might-dare Obito think it?- he just might get it right this time.

In the end, a group of Zetsu laid mangled on the ground with an astounded blonde still clutching the hand of a Zetsu. "That….was freaking awesome!" That was all Naruto could manage.

"Yes it was impressive….for an amateur," Obito added, "Skills like those would make you a chuunin if you didn't have a jutsu to your name, but you forget that your opponents won't attack you with just their bare fists. They are benders whom favor killing you from afar."

"My waterbending and jutsu make up for that," Naruto reassured as he flexed his hands,

Obito nodded, "by the way, have you mastered blood bending yet?"

Naruto frowned at the request of his teacher, "I…I thought about it, but it's illegal!" That wasn't the only reason. His old teacher, Katara, had told him about the first time and one of the only times she had ever blood-bended. Her sad tale and haunted tone throughout it made Naruto feel like if he crossed that line, he would regret it forever.

"A true shinobi will sacrifice everything for the protection of his village and the success of his mission, I thought that was the first thing I taught you," Obito replied in a strict tone, his teachings were very precious to him due to the destructive power chakra can bring.

"Maybe that's why the shinobi are dead! You didn't care about the people around you, only about your mission!" Naruto snapped back.

Obito didn't yell back, he only lowered his head, "No…. we just didn't fight hard enough."

He turned away before Naruto could ask for some clarity, also telling the blonde that if he did ask, he wasn't going to get it that day.

"Alright, you're done for the day. Zetsu will show you out."

Naruto widened his eyes in fear and spun around quickly, his only glimpse was a grinning pale man holding his trusty iron skillet in his hand. The skillet descended onto Naruto's face, a brief flash of pain and all was dark in Naruto's world.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to check that out?" Asami asked with concern, Naruto was currently sitting in a table in his restaurant, a blue bruise on his forehead that was almost bulging from his head laid unattended as the blonde stared with a sour blank face at the door.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Just ran into a street pole." Naruto replied in an almost sarcastic manner.

"Must've been one mean street pole." Asami stated with some worry,

Naruto chuckled, "Heh, you have _no _idea…"

It normally would be unusual for the head cook to spend most of his working hours outside of his kitchen, but that wasn't the case for Naruto. After the success of the two's escapade, Ramen Paradise became well known to Republic City, also, dango became a traditional sweet to children.

When the store became a monumental hit and customers flooded in, there was too many to feed with Naruto's own two hands. It would have been easier for him to just make some Shadow Clones, but the main reason for learning chakra was that he would make Republic City a better place, one where the innocent didn't have to die or worse, suffer a fate worse than death.

The triads were the ones who were committing such atrocities, thus they deserved Naruto's justice, but it wouldn't hurt for him to be a little extra good, so he combed out the streets of Republic City in search of the poorest and the most honest, offering them jobs at his restaurant.

Currently, Shadow Clones in disguises were handling the business in the kitchen while Naruto set his new employees up with a decent place to live not far from the restaurant as well as properly training them to be well-mannered waiters or cooks.

To Asami, it was a noble cause what Naruto was doing. He ignored all the qualifications and the legality of Republic City to help those in the city who really needed it.

It was inspiring, that was what she wanted to do with Future Industries, make a difference to the needy.

Of course, her father was making a difference. The Satomobile had opened up a new frontier for transportation to the nonbenders and benders alike and Future Industries technology was on demand in every major city in the four nations. Despite all the things the company had done, not a day had passed where the endeavors of the Sato family actually _helped_ anybody.

Naruto had brought new life to the Satos even though he maybe a little dense to see it. Asami knew without a shadow of doubt that without him, her father would have spent many nights mourning for the loss of her mother, he still does it a few times to the present day. However, helping Naruto fulfill his dream as a ramen maker had given Asami's old man a new purpose.

Now, whenever Asami saw her father, she saw a fire in his eyes. A fire that could not be quenched, a fire that was consuming, Hiroshi had a goal-no, a _desire-_ to bring his company to a new plateau and change Republic City, for the better no doubt.

"Oh, by the way, are you doing anything tonight?" Asami broke out of her thoughts at the bold question Naruto had asked,

"W-what!? Why are you asking?" She fumbled while a red hue was beginning to develop on her face,

"I was wondering if you could let me talk to your dad at his office, I wanna see if he's got any leftover metal that he isn't using." Came the brightened response of the blonde,

She sighed in bittersweet relief, of course he wouldn't be implying _that…_ "Umm….I'm sure he'd have some time for you-"

She was cut off when the front door opened, both turned to see that the new guests weren't their conventional guests. Dressed head to toe in gray and black metal with yellow badges on their hats, so walked in Republic City's Metalbending Police.

The appointed leader of the three police was a woman, her hair was long and gray, but she was considered to be one of the most feared officers on the force, if not in Republic City.

Naruto naturally stood to greet the Police, it was his restaurant.

"Hello Chief Beifong, I'd take your seats for you, but since you're in your uniforms, I doubt you want to embrace the tasty goodness that is ramen." He said in a kind manner,

"Are you the owner of this establishment, Mr. Naruto Uzumaki?" Beifong demanded, her tone of voice was saturated with the aura of authority.

"Yes, that's me."

Beifong nodded, "Good, then you'll need to come with us."

"On what charges?" Naruto instantly demanded. Had they actually found him that night?

"Nothing too serious, we just wanna ask some questions about the disturbances that happened a couple nights back," the head of Police assured, then she narrowed her eyes, "unless you _did _do something…"

"I assure you Chief, I haven't done anything illegal," Naruto replied, but his thoughts said otherwise.

* * *

'_She says it's nothing too bad, but why am I in an interrogation room?' _He thought while averting his gaze from the blaring light that was shining in his face.

"If this is how you treat everybody you ask questions for, it's no wonder that you guys are being seen in a negative light," He said while the two officers in front of him shuffled through your papers.

"Not by choice. It helps us keep people intimidated, therefore less prone to lie, or lie smoothly."Beifong replied,

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the implications, _'She's going to feel my heartbeat, see if I'm lying.'_

The legend of the Blind Bandit Toph had spread far throughout the lands, much to the delight of the self-acclaimed strongest Earthbender in existence. With the founding of Metalbending also came her teachings of vibration-sensing, it was no surprise that the daughter of Toph could be talented enough to detect the changes in a heartbeat.

Normally, Naruto wouldn't be privy to such things, but it may be necessary for him to lie during the interrogation, so he'd have to deal with that.

"If you're all set, then let's get this started. I still have a restaurant to run." He asked,

Beifong nodded along, "Alright, Mr. Uzumaki, please tell us what event took place at approximately two weeks ago."

"Well… I was adding the finishing touches to the restaurant when a couple of hooligan Triple Threat thugs cornered me. They naturally wanted me to pay them protection money, I refused."

"Wait, you refused? And you're still alive?" The other police asked incredulously,

"Shut your mouth Corporal!" Beifong barked spontaneously, almost instinctively, the man cowered down to his superior.

"They were horrid benders, barely knew the basics while I am an professional in the art of self-defense, it was easy for me to kick the gakis' butts." Naruto boasted,

Beifong raised an eyebrow at his proclamation, "Gaki?"

"Umm….it means idiot, Ma'am." Naruto mumbled, seems that the old man was rubbing off on him in more ways than just his teachings. Beifong just nodded and frowned, she was probably a bit frustrated that she couldn't detect a lie from Naruto at all.

That's what spending a couple of days making a Shadow Clone meditate can do for a person.

"A witness of the event claimed that you never returned to your restaurant after the ordeal, and considering that the Police weren't called by you, one has to wonder where were you," The Chief discreetly accused.

"One of the gangsters got a lucky shot in," Naruto replied smoothly, "I was bleeding and a hospitable was too far away. Went to a friend's house to get some help, ended up staying there for a few hours to get back on my feet."

Now he was really glad that no one knew he was a Waterbender. That little piece of evidence ruined his entire story and get him locked up for lying in an interrogation, to the chief of said station no less.

"That all? Did I say something wrong?" The blonde questioned casually, it only made Beifong frown ever more while burrowing her eyebrows.

"No you didn't, and that's why you're still here. No one is that truthful when it comes to the triads."

"Well, I'm sorry you have such a biased opinion to us civilians," he replied smugly, "but I'm afraid that if I proved my innocence, Republic City law grants me permission to leave chief custody."

"He's right Chief, we gotta let him go." Her subordinate agreed in a careful manner, not wanting to upset his superior and earn himself a shiny demotion.

Beifong stared at Naruto for a while longer, giving him the hardest stare she could give to a civilian and expected him to crack any second, even if for a moment. She would only be disappointed at his maintained composure.

She sighed, "Last thing I need to say, then you can go."

"Great, fire away," Naruto urged, but she didn't speak, not instantly. She reached into a hidden pocket that was inside her armored uniform to pull a small, white paper. She turned it around to reveal a picture with the face of a child.

"Look at it." She commanded, Naruto say no reason to not, so he took the picture and stared at the girl it showed. She was a toddler, was probably learning basic mathematics at the look of her youthful face, fair skinned and had short brown hair that was in two pig tails. Like any child would, she was smiling at the camera when the shot was taken.

"She's beautiful. Is she yours?" Naruto politely asked, Beifong gave a sad smile as she shook her head.

"No, makes me wish I had one sometimes. This is my new case, a kidnapping." The environment took a sudden turn to colder measures, the blonde Uzumaki mentally scolded himself for not noticing an obvious bait.

"Her name's Li Mei, daughter of the Mei's. You know the Mei's, the ones who own that fishing company? It just went global, I hear that you buy their fish for your ramen," The Chief carried on while Naruto could not help but stare on at the girl.

"Last week, she just vanished from Republic City and scared her parents to death. We got a call from the Agni Kais stating that they have her daughter and are willing to return her for about 2 million yens."

"Roughly 2.5 million, to be exact," Beifong's lieutenant supplied.

"Anyway, they promised to bring her back, but they didn't guarantee her life. You wanna know why I'm telling you this? The day this situation gets brought directly to me, your neighbors report mob activity at your doorstep with you _mysteriously _gone for a few hours. Weird huh?"

"I would've came sooner, but there were other leads I had to check out, none producing any results," she continued, she stared at Naruto who looked as still as ever, not making a facial feature at all.

"It's a sad thing, isn't it? When children get caught in the crossfire of adult problems?" She questioned, Naruto stiffly nodded as he stared engrossed in the picture.

"Yes, really sad." He muttered. With that, Beifong signaled her partner to pack up his stuff and clear out of the room, but not before giving some parting words.

"I've got till tomorrow to find this girl or the Mei's will have to pay the ransom, or Li will die. I'll trust that you'll tell me of anything that could be helpful then."

Her answer came in the form of another nod, but that was just as satisfying.

"Good, then you know the way outside. I hope you have a wonderful evening."

The officers left Naruto there in the room of darkness, kept companied by the smiling face of a little girl whose life may end the next day. The blonde gently placed the picture on the table, as if not to disturb the girl within it, and snapped his head upward.

The Sharingans danced within his eyes, a hypnotizing dance before combat.

* * *

In hindsight, Naruto understood what the Chief of Police was attempting to accomplish. She tried to emotionally compromise him so he would make a mistake and try to warn the mob like the paid mobster she pegged him to be. She couldn't possibly know who she was talking to, therefore unaware of what she just unleashed.

First thing first: Head back to the restaurant as to draw off any undercover cops that could be watching him. From there, he'll leave a Shadow Clone of himself to handle the normal day routine while the _real _Naruto ran off to Future Industries.

"Naruto, you came! What happened?" As fate would expect, Asami was to be the first person to greet the blonde once security had identified he was who he said he was.

"The police had assumed I was with the triads and wanted to ask me some questions, it was nothing serious. Is your dad here? I really need some spare metal," he replied casually, but in a sped pace. Nothing Asami would deem as unusual.

The future heir of Future Industries nodded, "He'll see you right now, follow me."

It was Naruto's second time being in the factory, and it still astounded him at how big it was. The metal ceilings were large and spacious, a direct opposite to the ground which was filled of dozen of Satomobiles being built.

"Demand for the Satomobiles still going up?" He asked to strike a conversation.

"Yeah, you should've been here a little while earlier. We just got done testing a new type of biplanes outside, they're gonna need a little more work, so not fit for the public yet." She replied.

At the other side of Future Industries laid a spiral stairwell to the highest office in the building, since it overlooked all the products being made, it was quite obvious that it was to be Hiroshi's office.

The rich owner sat behind an eloquent desk that held many papers, he stared at them with gradual concern, he didn't even notice the two teenagers enter his office. Not until Asami loudly cleared her throat.

Hiroshi looked up and gave a heartwarming smile, "Ah Naruto! So you came after all!" He left the desk to give the blonde a firm handshake (was it just Naruto's imagination, or did Hiroshi cover up some of his papers?) to which Naruto returned with one of his own.

"As you know Hiroshi, I am a man of my word." He replied,

"That's a good way to live my boy! Perhaps I should follow your example," the father of Asami joked to Naruto.

"What can I do for you Naruto? Asami told me you were wondering if I had any spare metal lying around in the building."

"Yeah, I need some metal, it doesn't have to be a lot." Naruto agreed, "something real sturdy too, something that can handle well against bending, definitely against physical labor."

A supposed lightbulb went off in Hiroshi's head, like he had been thinking along the same lines of the blonde, "I'm glad you asked! I have been developing something."

He rushed to the back of his desk to open a secret compartment. He pulled out a long piece of metal that held a shiny gray allure when directed at light, "This is platinum! It's strong, sturdy, and best of all, it's a pure metal!"

"Pure?" Naruto questioned as he felt its cool surface,

Hiroshi nodded eagerly, "Yes, pure, as in 80% more void of earth other than the standard metal in other things."

Asami glanced at the metal with a little confusion and concern as she spoke, "That's great and all Dad, but why did you make something like this?"

"I was planning on installing it to the important parts of our future products in case some Metalbender gets overzealous and accidentally causes an accident. A hazard and certainly bad for business." The man defended.

Naruto weighed the metal in the palm of his hand while casting final judgement on the plutonium. "It's a little heavy, but I can trim it down. Thanks Hiroshi."

"Give it a test sometime, see if Metalbenders can bend it," Hiroshi advised eagerly, the man always seemed eager.

Naruto gave a queasy laugh, "I'm not sure about Metalbenders, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll expect to be around a lot of Earthbenders very soon…"

* * *

"This is utterly insane, I will not tolerate this!"

Of course, Obito would instantly reject to Naruto's desired plan within a heartbeat. The blonde was busying himself to fashioning the platinum to a certain degree as the elderly man raved on how inadequate he was behind his back.

"You know no ninjutsu, your genjutsu is a joke, your taijutsu is can hardly tickle me to sleep, and your fuinjutsu? Give me a break! There is no way I'm letting you represent the shinobi people in the field when your skills parallel to that of a three-year old!" He concluded.

"I'm not asking for your approval," Naruto shot back, "this _is _going to happen. You can't stop me from doing this."

"Don't insult me, gaki." Obito growled. Naruto had quickly forgotten that the old man's personal pride was far younger than the man himself.

"So you _can _stop me, doesn't mean I won't let you regret it." Naruto rephrased as he finished shaping the metal, he began to apply a thin white wood to the platinum design, it would soon harden and fully become one with the platinum.

"You are not ready to use shinobi tactics at all, this entire obsession of yours will have to wait!" Obito commanded.

"This isn't an obsession," Naruto replied as he finished painting the wood that was attached to the metal. "I've trained myself to do this one thing: stop the triads from hurting anymore people, and that's what I'm gonna do tonight."

"Hn. You call what you did 'training'? In the old days, that was barely a workout," The old man said gruffly,

"Call it what you want," Naruto replied as he inspected his handiwork: a black mask that held three red ovals on his eye sockets and forehead along with more red pain at the area where his mouth was and at the insides of the little ears he made. **(Menma's mask, except it's black)**

The rest of Naruto's outfit was also black with metal guards that started on his shoulders and went down to his wrists. Everything in his outfit was meant to be quick and discreet, the blonde went as far as to dye his hair black so nobody could recognize its unique color.

"I'm still going." He finished while placing on the fox-like mask, his eyes turned into the blood red Sharingan to add a little more mystery to his outfit. He attached a small bag around his waist that held his kunai and throwing stars before donning a pitch black cloak with a hood.

"You sure look like a shinobi now!" Both men turned to see a familiar white creature rising from the cold ground with a permanent smile on its face.

"Zetsu! You betray me too?"Obito exclaimed in outrage and disbelief, the creature was known for following the instructions of its master without fail.

"H-hey, don't be so quick to judge! The blonde gaki here practically forced me!" Zetsu hastily explained, "Anyway, the crooks you're looking for is holed up in the Fishing District, one of those Mei Fishing companies."

Naruto nodded, he did not say another word to Obito as he walked away to the exit of the cave until he completely vanished in with the shadows.

"That brat has some nerve! Disobeying Obito-sama like that!" The creature growled once he was sure the boy was out of earshot. Obito, however, did not maintain his stern look as his protégé vanished and basically defied his orders, rather, he did something unexpected.

He smiled.

"No…..he is becoming exactly what I want him to be."

About time, too.

* * *

"Gotta admit Lang, usin' the Mei's own fishing spots as a hidin' place, real genius." A burly man in a shaggy red suit commented as he moved the empty fishing crates to clear some space, as were his instructions, no matter how dumb he thought them to be.

A less physically endowed man sneered at the compliment directed at him. "Course it's a good idea Shin, that's why I'm the boss of this operation, and you're the fodder."

There was six men in total that were charged of watching over the little brat, two to make sure she stayed quiet and healthy enough to be recognized, and the other four to keep a careful eye out in case something goes wrong.

Granted, the Agni Kais had a few good ears in the Police force that could tell them if they were caught or not, but every once in awhile, some lone cop wants to play the movies and try to find the 'bad guys' on their own. If that happened…..well, somebody's gotta show that fella that real life and the movies are two _totally _different things.

Shin whimpered like a child at the obvious insult, "I know, but you didn't have to be so rude about it….."

Lang sighed at the simpleton and checked the prize he was supposed to look after. The girly was paler than usual, her hair was let down, but it was still the same girl with a gag over her mouth and a bruise on her cheek. Apparently when Lang went out to get the boys some lunch, she pitched a fit and one of the others thought it would be….appropriate to teach her the hard way to shut up.

Lang simply couldn't stress enough that the girl was supposed to be in pristine condition, the slap alone could've docked their pay for the job, better than losing a hand at any rate.

While Lang spoke to the girl in false comforting tone, his lackeys made a small little crate fort in the middle of the night, meaning aside from the cheap lights that shined straight downward in the massive warehouse, they were surrounded by complete darkness.

One man-Shu was his name- decided to take a small breather and sit down on the crate to take a drink with his waterbending pouch. It didn't bother him that he was drinking the same water he used to hit people across the concrete and sometimes the concrete itself.

He had strong enough immune system, what's the harm that could be done.

Sad thing was, in order to take a break, he had to choose a moment when nobody could see him and therefore tell him to get back to work.

It was his bad luck that since nobody could see him and his back was facing the darkness, no one could ever point out that there was two crimson eyes illuminating right behind his head.

"HEL-_MMPH!"_

All five gangsters spun around quickly to see a pair of legs struggle as the rest of the body was forcefully dragged into the darkness. A string of curses erupted from the men as they circled around their target and pulled up their respective elements: water, fire, and earth.

"Who's out there!?" Lang barked as he outstretched the hand that held a small fireball, trying to shine more light in the darkness.

His question was met with no answer of an ordinary man, but from something else, something far different than a bender or a civilian. Something more than gangster or a policeman.

In fact, it was just something _more._

"_Justice."_

* * *

**And this chapter is complete!**

**Sorry for the temporary hiatus. I had to juggle between my short fuse with Jesus Superstar and the massive holes I've left in my fanfic, but I'm back and still kicking with this story!**

**So now Naruto's become like a vigilante to Republic City, using his limited shinobi training to clear out the triads. Clearly, I've taken a leaf out of Daredevil's book, but it works well!**

**There's still the problem of who Naruto should be with, Asami or Korra, since it's a tie. **

**Would it work if I paired Naruto with Asami for the first two seasons of the show, then Korra for the last two? Makes the fight scene in the end look a whole lot more at stake.**

**Anyway, next chapter, we will see our blonde turned black for the night fend off these crooks with a mixture of Waterbending and limited taijutsu since he technically only knows the Shadow Clone jutsu.**

**MAY THE FLAMES OF YOUTH BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS. –Jedi Master Maito "Might" Guy**


	9. The Return!

"_I can do what others lack the power to do! I can save this world, lead us to a happy future for everybody!"_

"_That's a nice speech kid, but I hate to break it to you: you're no Avatar."_

"_**DON'T YOU COMPARE ME TO HER!"**_

_**.**_

* * *

"_You were right all along. They don't believe I can help them."_

"_No, they don't trust you because you're still too weak. Your jutsu can't face off against a fully realized Avatar. This world trusts nothing except power, and the Avatar has the most power."_

"_So….I need to obtain more power, the power to raise continents, the power to beat an Avatar."_

"_No…you need the power to __kill __an Avatar."_

_**.**_

* * *

_**.**_

"_You see through vibrations, right?"_

"_What's it to you!?"_

"_That means you can see everything in the world as long as you're in an area saturated with spirit energy, like this forest. That's good, I want you to be the first to see this world burn."_

"You're all washed up." He gloated to Korra.

He wasn't wrong, Korra had spent too much time trying to get back to her old base of strength while he used that time to take leaps and bounds in power.

Her bruising face was a good indication, as well as her body bound by water. She probably could get out, but he ran her ragged, drained her power, and wore her down.

He was better than her. No poison to fall back on, he outclassed her in every way.

"Once the Spirit cannon is fully operational, unlimited Spirit energy will be mine to do with as I wish."

"D-Don't….." She did not have the strength to even speak.

"Die now, knowing that your death was necessary to start the rest of humanity on the path to peace. Goodbye…..sister."

His eye-his ringed eye-widened so she could receive the full strength of his most deadly attack. Unless…she could move her hands just a little to the-

"Amaterasu!"

* * *

**THE PHANTOM PENANCE HAS COME BACK!  
To tell you the truth, I was planning on letting this fanfic fade into memory, but somebody asked, and I decided to try and breathe life into it again!**

**I'll work out some details in the next chapter to come, but take solace in the fact that this fanfic is not abandoned!**

**MAY THE FLAMES OF YOUTH BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS**


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